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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Orthorrhapha » Asiloidea » Bee Flies (Bombyliidae) » Anthracinae » Aphoebantini » Aphoebantus » Aphoebantus desertus
Photo#253886
Aphoebantus? maybe desertus? - Aphoebantus desertus - female
Copyright © 2009 Lynn Monroe

Aphoebantus? maybe desertus? - Aphoebantus desertus - Female
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, San Diego County, California, USA
March 10, 1999
Size: BL ~ 14 mm
We saw this bee fly in Coyote Canyon. It had collided with or was attacked by another insect in the sky and dropped to our feet. It was pretty stunned but did recover after several minutes.
Years ago at the San Diego Natural History Museum we identified it as Aphoebantus desertus, based on the spur vein and general appearance. That is before I realized that even if it were the Aphoebantus genus, there are many lookalike species that also occur in this area!

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Aphoebantus? maybe desertus? - Aphoebantus desertus - female Aphoebantus? maybe desertus? - Aphoebantus desertus - female
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Contributed by Lynn Monroe on 18 February, 2009 - 11:45am
Last updated 11 May, 2009 - 12:45pm

Female
Lynn, I edited your post to include gender info.
… Harsi S. Parker, 11 May, 2009 - 12:46pm login or register to post comments

ID
You may have done well with your ID. This looks like it could be desertus. The color is right, the size is right (desertus is one of the largest species in the genus), and it is common in ABDSP, more so at middle elevations than down on the desert floor. I will see if I can find a key character to cinch it. You may have seen the males and not recognized them. They look like a different species: the abdomen is very short and constricted laterally as well, making the thorax seem comically oversized for its needs.
I think we should place it in A. desertus for now. It will be the first of that species for the Guide.
… Andy Calderwood, 18 February, 2009 - 2:03pm login or register to post comments

 
Aphoebantus desertus
It's really great to get a bee fly to species when there are so many in desert and desert transition. Thank you so much for your help! And, I really appreciate your tips on telling these genera apart. Again, thanks!
… Lynn Monroe, 18 February, 2009 - 5:25pm login or register to post comments

 
Congratulations...
...on adding images of a new species to BugGuide's already extensive list of western Bee Flies!
… Harsi S. Parker, 18 February, 2009 - 5:35pm login or register to post comments

 
Aphoebantus desertus
It's great to get a bee fly to species! There are so many of them in the desert and desert transition! I'll be on the lookout for males. Thanks so much for your help. And I also really appreciate the tips on how to tell these genera apart.
… Lynn Monroe, 18 February, 2009 - 5:23pm login or register to post comments

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